When it comes to affordable skincare Good Things are one of my favourite brands. All their products are between £3.49 and £7.99 and are free from parabens, animal ingredients, mineral oils and sodium laureth sulfate.

So, when it came to choosing a face mask I had no worries about trying their Five Minute Facial.

However I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I wasn’t expecting miracles when I took it off but it hadn’t really done much at all. I’ve since used this mask twice more as some people said it gets better with time but up to now…no luck. Admittedly I didn’t have any spots at the time so I can’t comment on how well it performed on them, but anyhow my face didn’t look bright felt soothed either.

It hasn’t put me off Good Things as a brand at all though, and I’ve actually heard great things about their Manuka honey white clay mask so I think I’ll be trying that next.

Overall, would I repurchase this?

No although that’s not to say this is a rubbish product. Everyone’s skin is different so what might do nothing for me might do everything for you.

While items being at £__.99 is not really more than a mere inconvenience that leaves you with a lot of excess copper in everyday life, when it comes to beauty shopping it really starts to bug me. Why? The simple reason that your Boots advantage ‘4 points per pound’ card doesn’t treat that 99p as a pound.

Let’s say you buy an item that’s £3.99. For this you get 12 points, so that’s 12p back. However if that item was instead priced at £4, you’d get 16 points which is 16p back. So just spending that extra pence saves you 3p!

It may sound trivial, and maybe it is, but when you spend as much in Boots as I do it really starts to mount up. And I’d be willing to put money on that even non-advantage card holders would probably prefer to cut the crap and just pay £4, instead of saving that one pence that marketing companies these days hold so sacred.

#FirstWorldProblems this may be, but it definitely does make a difference to what I buy especially when it comes to triple points offers and the like. I find myself consciously choosing products that are in ‘full pounds’.

Ah yes guys it’s that time again! I love autumn. I really do. Summer’s my favourite season but I’d be lying if I said the prospect of jumpers and hot chocolates and certain lattes didn’t excite me… So what am I aching to get my paws on this season? Well sit back, put on a chunky knit and get a latte ‘cause I’m about to tell you!

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks:

The certified goddess that is Charlotte Tilbury has only gone and done it again. This time with a new range of matte lipsticks, all in her signature rose gold packaging *swoon*. Autumn and winter’s a great time to go for a statement matte lip, preferably in a vampy or berry shade.

ghd Bird of Paradise Styler:

I hardly ever use straighteners. By that I don’t mean once a week I mean genuinely the last time I used them was about two years ago. I just don’t really tend to like the look they give to my hair. In my mind they make it look limp and flat and just bleugh. However, these drop-dead gorgeous ones have brought out the worst in me. Seriously – just scroll up and have another look at that photo. Zoom in. Google more images. A-huh? You feeling it? I know gurl. Trust me. I know.

Lush Pop Gift Box:

I love a good bath any time of the year but I do appreciate them more in winter. I don’t know anything legal that feels better than a bath after a long, hard day and commute in the cold. This box has 10 bath bombs, including some of my favourites; Avobath, Granny Takes A Dip, Phoenix Rising, Sex Bomb, Honeybee, Blackberry Bath Bomb, Dragon’s Egg, Fizzbanger, Twilight and Think Pink.

Dior Night Golds Eyeshadow Palette:

An oldie but a goodie. This has been out for a couple years now I think and this might be the year I succumb to it. Just a stunning palette of five neutral/gold shimmer shades, A.K.A heaven!

GlamGlow Thirsty Mud:

As the seasons change my combination skin likes to too, usually in the form of the dry parts getting drier. I’ve never heard a bad word about GlamGlow up to now and this mask has been praised by so many bloggers with skin just like mine.

Viktor & Rolf BonBon:

Ladies and gentlemen behold – my favourite perfume. Its sweet, caramel tones are perfect for the colder months and just… To be honest it’s any excuse for me! This is unfortunately not sold in Boots which is one of the main reasons I haven’t bit the bullet yet (along with the price of course) and bought it, but both Selfridges and Debenhams do.

This time it comes in the form of a Dead Sea Mud Pac, from the queens of the budget face mask Montagne Jeunesse. I was actually in a bit of a funny mood when I used this and had a mini laughing fit about the ‘dead sea’ in it. I don’t know why, it just suddenly occurred to me why putting ‘dead sea’ on my face appealed to me? Think a ‘what a time to be alive’ sorta thing and you’re on the right lines! Really though when did ‘dead sea’ become a selling point for beauty products?

And so on to the mask – if I’m honest I’m not impressed. While it didn’t really do anything bad to my skin, that’s half the problem. It didn’t do anything. I like to think I’m quite realistic with these sorts of things and don’t expect much but this really didn’t anything and I left it on for nearly an hour.

On a lighter note I was also very disappointed about the lack of neon cobalt colour! It was anaemic duck egg blue at best.

Overall, would I repurchase?

Nope! For the price though I’m really not too fussed when I don’t like one of these masks, it’s just another one to cross off the list in search my perfect one.

Also my friend Maria has also started a beauty blog on tumblr mariabmakeup and I’m very honoured to say her first post is inspired by me! I’m planning to do a couple of videos with her on my channel for Halloween this year so stay tuned if you want to see more of her.

After re-bleaching the ends of my hair for a purple ombre, I felt it was in need of a bit o’ love. However after buying all my back to school stationary and clothes I was a little skint and on the hunt for a budget hair mask – enter Herbal Essences!

While I’m not a fan of their shampoos and conditioners, I have dabbled in their masks. They’re not the best I’ve ever used but I do think they’re good for the money. I do know what you’re thinking though. Um Chiara… since when have you had ‘naturally wavy hair’? Well yes I admit that is a good point. If I’m honest I can’t really remember what made me purchase this, except from the fact it’s meant to be violet scented which it really isn’t.

Still, the mask did leave my hair lovely and soft. After shampooing my hair I left it on for about ten mins before rinsing it off in cool water (cool water rinses are a must if you have coloured hair, but also really good for getting extra shiny hair if it’s not coloured). My hair still felt the same after I’d dried it which is a major plus for me, as I’ve used so many conditioners that make your hair feel like silk while it’s still wet, but no different than it was before when it’s dried.

Overall, would I repurchase?

My actual lack of curly hair means next time I’d be a bit more sensible and go for the hydrating option. That’s no detriment to this mask though, it’s just not quite right for my hair type.

REVLON TOP SPEED NAIL ENAMEL in 670 VIOLET: £6.49 now discontinued I think but you can find them on eBay for about £3-£5

Ooo now we haven’t had an #angellec makeup mani monday post in quite a while have we? I can only apologise for that *slaps wrist* but I’ll do my best to try and keep with them from now on.

To make things a lil’ easier for both of us I’ve decided to make Mani Monday’s a bit different than my usual posts, and rate each polish simply in a few topics. So here’s the stats for this week’s polish: